South Africa orders farm theft

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Freedom House scores:

Zimbabwe - 7,6 NF
South Africa - 1,2 F

Yes, they are so comparable

[AuH2O]

Freedom House is crap. They are totally political-- look at Russia's ratings. Way out of line for a country with regular and certified elections.

I was not saying Rhodesia=South Africa, though perhaps someone without the ability to read might think so. I was merely pointing out that both have problems stemming from the takeover of their governments by thugs and guerillas.

Rhodesia is much worse, because the number of non-Africans was much lower there than in SA. In the latter, institutions have been strong enough to at least maintain the appearance of democracy, even if it is a one-party state in practice.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Freedom House is crap. They are totally political-- look at Russia's ratings. Way out of line for a country with regular and certified elections.

Well so is Venezuela but that doesn't mean conservatives don't shut up with the 'OMG CHAVEZ IS AN EVIL DESPOT WHO'S JUST AS BAD AS STALIN" garbage we hear nonstop.

Russia's ratings are quite appropriate for a country who's only 4 parties of any consequence are a personality cult for a president with an authoritarian streak a mile long, communists, fascists, and a group that broke away from the communists to support said personality cult.

I was not saying Rhodesia=South Africa, though perhaps someone without the ability to read might think so. I was merely pointing out that both have problems stemming from the takeover of their governments by thugs and guerillas.

Damn that terrorist F.W. deKlerk. We all know how he waged a brutal guerilla campaign to introduce democracy...oh wait.

Rhodesia is much worse, because the number of non-Africans was much lower there than in SA. In the latter, institutions have been strong enough to at least maintain the appearance of democracy, even if it is a one-party state in practice.

It's less of a one party state than DC and Utah.

[Jake]

Well so is Venezuela but that doesn't mean conservatives don't shut up with the 'OMG CHAVEZ IS AN EVIL DESPOT WHO'S JUST AS BAD AS STALIN" garbage we hear nonstop.

Wrong again. Most conservatives don't like Chavez because he works against our interests. The fact that he was not elected fairly makes little difference either way.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Well so is Venezuela but that doesn't mean conservatives don't shut up with the 'OMG CHAVEZ IS AN EVIL DESPOT WHO'S JUST AS BAD AS STALIN" garbage we hear nonstop.

Wrong again. Most conservatives don't like Chavez because he works against our interests. The fact that he was not elected fairly makes little difference either way.

You have said flat out that he is a dictator.

Oh and the sig comment shows you aren't able to recognize things that are tongue-in-cheek.

[Jake]

I never made a value judgement or a judgement on the seriousness of your inane post. Only that it is amusing.

[Jens]

Oh, I guess you haven't followed Mugabe's genocidal campaigns of late against the poor. Or, perhaps you didn't notice the rate of AIDS infection in South Africa. Or, perhaps you didn't note that "Zimbabwe" is a dictatorship while South Africa has one party rule. Or, perhaps you forgot that Rhodesia actually had a good economy at one time, before it was destroyed by a joint Western- marxist rebel alliance.

I guess then that the US is also a one party state since its parliament is heavily dominated by one party and the same party holds the presidency! My aditude towards Mugabe isn't possitive and his policies the last 7-8 years had been plain stupid, but the rebel republic of Ian Smith where only a heaven for the whites and their kollaborateurs and it feel because it held no popular support.
But I wounder why I even bother to explain this when it is quite clear that you think that the Kaffirs are too stupid to rule themself

[AuH2O]

It's not that Africans are totally incompetent per se; the problem is that national boundaries are somewhat arbitrary and do not reflect reality in many cases.

Rhodesia wasn't a great democracy, but the blacks had jobs and food. More than they have now, by a long shot.